


we deserve a soft epilogue, my love

by moonshine623



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Aftermath, Albus Dumbledore Bashing, Angst, Back to Hogwarts, Deamus, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Harry Potter Leaves the Wizarding World, Healing, Hinny, M/M, Multi, POV Alternating, POV First Person, POV Third Person Limited, Post-War, linny - Freeform, romione, temporarily
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:02:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27683278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonshine623/pseuds/moonshine623
Summary: Post-war hogwarts and beyond. Will not really stick to canon. All the characters try to heal and get their lives together. Told in the perspective of multiple people. Hope you enjoy it! :)
Relationships: Fleur Delacour/Bill Weasley, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Luna Lovegood/Ginny Weasley, Seamus Finnigan/Dean Thomas
Comments: 6
Kudos: 9





	1. Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> This is a new series about after the war. Starts in the aftermath of the Battle of Hogwarts. Hermione and Ginny's perspectives will be explored.

** GINNY **

Ron, Harry, and Hermione had gone to Dumbledore's office. To do what, I didn't know. I didn't want to know.

My skin felt too tight, my chest too heavy, my heart a black hole. My throat and eyes ached, my soul mourned at the destruction around me. Not only at the beautiful castle that had been one of my homes for six years, but at the lives destroyed.

My life destroyed.

My brothers were my everything. Throughout my life, my entire life, I had known that if anything ever went wrong, I would have six fierce ginger Weasley boys to back me up. We all had each others' backs. And now - Fred. He was gone.

I wanted to scream. To wail. My brother was gone, and he was never coming back. I was always able to tell them apart, since being born. I had never understood when my mother got them confused. Fred wasn't just George's twin. He was a whole vibrant person, and now he was gone and was never coming back.

It wasn't real. I kept telling myself, _he's dead, Ginny,_ but it hadn't quite sunk in yet. Until now.

He would never be back. Never laugh, make a joke, play a prank. Never fall in love, have children, see my wedding, have his own. Never continue his shop, never become the amazing wizard he was destined to be.

My breath came faster. I couldn't handle this. I ran down the (for the first time since I had arrived at the school) stationary stairs of Hogwarts until I found an empty classroom where I hoped no one could find me. My brothers' protection was something I'd always be grateful for, but it was the last thing I needed now.

I stared at the cracked chalkboard, the broken chairs and table legs and dust scattered around and was that blood. Fred was never coming back. He was gone and he was really never coming back and - 

I screamed. I screamed my entire soul out. I sunk to my knees and grabbed a piece of splintered wood and _squeezed_ it in my hands until I felt the pain. He couldn't be gone. He wasn't gone.

 _"Fred!"_ I half choked, half sobbed, chucking the bloody piece of wood at the wall. My witty, funny, talented older brother was gone. And there was nothing I could do to bring him back.

* * *

**HERMIONE**

I sat in the nearly untouched girls' dormitory. It had seemed ages since I'd last been in here, though in reality it had been less than a year. Trunks sat on the floor, I didn't know whose they were. I didn't care.

I had stained the white sheets with grime and dirt and sweat and yes, blood, though I didn't know exactly whose it was. I couldn't find it in me to care.

My heart ached for all those we had lost. Fred, Remus, Tonks, Lavender, Colin, and all the other brave souls who had died in the battle, yes, but also the countless others. Hedwig. Dobby. Sirius. Moody. Dumbledore. Cedric. And even James and Lily Potter.

We had lost so much.

Getting up, I drifted over to the windows overlooking the grounds. They should have been beautiful this time of year, with flowers budding and Hagrid growing all sorts of plants. Instead, they were a scene of carnage. The sadness bloomed in my heart.

 _You have to make it better, Hermione,_ I told myself. _You survived. You owe it to those who lost their lives that the fight was worth it. You have to build a better world._

I knew I could do it. I knew that I could shape the wizarding world to be a better place. I had everyone by my side. I had _Ron_ by my side, and that was enough.

Despite the mood, a small smile flitted across my face. Ron. Despite all we had been through, or perhaps because of it, we had found each other. I found myself wanting to tell my mum about it. My smile ebbed away.

My mum. I hadn't seen her since the summer of fourth year, after the horrific events of the Quidditch World Cup. I owed her a visit. I owed them a visit. I had to repair their memories, soon. I liked to think I was independent, but I needed my mum and dad.

In somewhat of a daze, thinking of what exactly I had to do next, I wandered into the ruined Gryffindor Common Room, past the smashed glass on the floor. Ducking through the portrait hole missing its portrait, I made a list.

1\. Find Mum and Dad and return them home.

2\. Help with the reconstruction of Hogwarts.

3\. Re-enroll to finish my NEWTs.

4\. Make sure everyone who died got a proper funeral and the respect they deserved.

5\. Look after my friends. Though I had been tortured, Harry and Ron had fared far worse than I had. I could handle it. I wasn't sure they could.

6\. Free the house-elves. I didn't care how much people were against it, the way these elves had demonstrated courage and bravery far greater than any I could imagine time and time again effectively shut down the argument that they were 'made for work'.

I stopped counting as I reached the destruction of the Great Hall. Weeping families were scattered around, but also tired people who were grateful to be alive. It gave me hope. Hope that a better world could be built, if only we tried hard enough.

I was Hermione Jean Granger. Mudblood. Survivor.

I could do it.


	2. Leaving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry suffers from the after-effects of the war. Luna goes home.

**HARRY**

_A flash of green light. Sirius... laughing, cackling, then - his face transformed into the Inferi... crawling... dead... Dumbledore! His face... the beard grew wings and it was Hedwig, chirping loudly. The chirps turned into screams... "Lily! Take Harry and go!" Green light again-_

I sat up, breathing hard. Heat rushed through my body. My heart pounded. I remembered the awful feeling of always being watched... my stomach jumped unpleasantly.

Struggling out of my sweaty, twisted bedclothes, I staggered to the bathroom connected to my room and gagged, then vomited. I sank down and clung to the bowl, then threw up again.

Slowly, the nausea eased. I crawled to the corner of his bathroom and hugged myself, staring up at the ceiling and breathing slowly. I didn't know how long I sat there, counting my breaths; only that when I got up, the sun was peeking above the horizon.

I showered and dressed, then went downstairs to get some breakfast. I was staying at the Burrow. With Bill and Fred gone, it was emptier than normal. Too empty. Not just of people, but of life.

Usually, Mrs Weasley would be up, cooking a magnificent breakfast. But now, the kitchen was empty. Dust collected on pans that hadn't been touched in weeks. All the food we ate wasn't home cooked.

I wasn't in the mood for anything more than toast and tea, so I grabbed the kettle and put it on the stove. I hadn't used my wand since repairing it that day in Dumbledore's office. It felt like an old friend, but one I wasn't ready to greet.

Soon I had a mug of steaming tea that I was dunking a piece of toast into. I took my breakfast outside and stared at the pink sky and the clucking chickens.

* * *

** LUNA **

I picked my way up the old stone path.

It had been so long since I'd been home. Since I'd been taken.

I pushed open the door gingerly, expecting to face utter destruction. Instead, my house looked... normal. Possessions were missing, and the giant - horn was gone. I didn't know whether I believed in my father's creatures anymore. Seeing what I had seen, what had been lost...

I wondered who had fixed my house. If anyone had. I didn't know anymore. In a daze, I wandered up the stairs of the rook-shaped house and stumbled into my bedroom. My bedroom, with the cold sheets and cobwebbed windows. I was too tired to do anything, so I drifted onto the bed.

Dimly, I wondered what Ginny was up to. What she was doing. I looked at the ceiling and stared at my rendition of her face.

* * *

**GINNY**

The raw, splintered edges of my heart had hardened into something duller, but rougher. His death was constantly in my mind, no matter what I did. Even when I got on a broomstick, which usually meant I could leave all my problems on the ground, he was there. Or rather, his absence was there.

There were a few blissful seconds as I woke up where I forgot. I didn't remember that my brother was gone, and then it hit me. I wished it wouldn't. I wished that I could just remember always so I didn't feel the pain fresh every morning. It felt like a knife to the heart, like my brain ballooned and squeezed and floated away because I didn't want this, I didn't want to be here, I wanted my brother back.

I hadn't seen George since we all came home. He'd been sitting in his room. I thought he was half dead. He probably wanted to be.

I knew I should check on him, but I couldn't. What would I say? He wouldn't want to talk about it. The pain I was feeling was unimaginable, but it was nothing compared to his. I wanted to talk, though. I wanted to talk to someone, but who would understand?

I went downstairs, hearing a clatter in the kitchen. My spirits brightened fractionally, hoping it was my mum back in the kitchen, doing what she loved. But as I entered the room, I saw it was Harry, putting away a teacup. I leaned against the doorway.

"Gin?" he turned around, his voice hoarse. He was in a dressing gown and slippers, but he looked terrible. There were dark bags under his eyes and his skin was chalky white.

"Harry," I said, and then I was walking into his arms. The boy I'd loved since I was a child held me, and I savoured the human contact, skin to skin. I whimpered and hugged him closer, burying my head in his chest. And then we were both crying, me sobbing into his robe and him into the top of my head.

We separated and I collapsed into a chair, not bothering to wipe the tears off my face. "Harry-"

"Ginny - help me," he rasped. "I feel like - I can't breathe. It feels like the walls are constantly caving in. And there's something on my chest and everywhere I look, I can only see the sadness and I know we all have lost far too much but I feel - I feel like giving up sometimes." he fell silent.

I turned to him. "What? What was that last one?"

Harry closed his eyes. "I feel like giving up," he said. "I - I don't deserve to be here. I don't deserve to live while they all died. I don't deserve to get honour and fame and all those _fucking_ things-" he broke off and opened his eyes. "I don't see happiness in things anymore, Gin. I don't see value in anything."

Deep inside me, I felt something waking up. Something I hadn't felt since my brother had stopped breathing. Anger.

"You want to give up?" I hissed at him, knowing it was cruel to speak to him like this but not finding it in me to care. "How _dare_ you, Harry James Potter! After all we've lost. After everything everyone has given up, after everything _you've_ given up, you want to die? Is that what you want?" He averted his eyes.

"Second year," I continue, my voice beginning to shake. "I was eleven. Do you remember what it felt like to see me collapsed on that floor? To see my broken body littering the chamber?" Harry opened his mouth, but I grabbed his hand and squeezed it, hard. "D'you have _any idea_ of the fear I felt when I saw your limp body? I thought you were dead. I thought you were dead and I thought it was over. Don't you _fucking dare_ make me feel that again." Fresh tears ran down my face.

"You don't see value in anything?" I put his hand over my heart. "Do you feel that beating? That's value. We're alive, and we're broken and we're tired but we're _alive_ , Harry. That's more than too many of us can say."

Harry looked into my eyes and I saw something soften there. I took his face in my hands and kissed him, damned that we were in my kitchen. He entwined his fingers in my hair and as we kissed, our tears mingled with each other until we were one.

We broke apart, and Harry took a great, shuddering breath. "I just - I need to get out of here."

I frowned. "What d'you mean?" I brushed my thumb across his cheek.

He stared at me and seemed to make up his mind in that moment. "After - after it's settled. I'm going to go away. Away from the wizarding world, to the city. To Muggle London, and I'm going to stay there. For a while. Just - to heal by myself."

In that moment, I felt my heart caving in. I shook my head wildly. "Harry - what? You're going to leave? Leave me?"

"Ginny - I-" His voice cracked. "I need this. You need to finish your final year at school. I'll be back, I promise - just - please-"

I started crying again, half from rage and half from grief but also from understanding. "I love you, Harry," I choked, meaning it with every fibre of my soul. "Please don't leave me." I climbed into his lap and buried my face in his shoulder. Yes, I was showing weakness, but I didn't care. I needed him. I folded myself into his warmth, his scent, trying to absorb him into me. "Please don't leave me."

"Ginny," he rasped, and then he was crying again, too, wrapping his arms around me. "Please. Don't make me choose. I need to do this."

"I love you," I whispered, hoping if I said it enough, it would change his mind. "I love you I love you I love you-"

"Don't do this to me," he croaked. "I love you so much, I don't ever want to lose you, but I need to - I need this. I can't do it anymore. Please, Gin. I promise I'll be back."

In my heart, I knew he was right. I'd grown up surrounded by my family, my brothers, who were always there when I needed them. I needed them now more than ever, and though I needed Harry too, he had grown up alone. And though he had found a family, his way of coping was to withdraw. I could put aside my needs to let him heal. I could depend on others while he recovered.

I looked up at the Boy who Lived, the boy I loved, into his shining earnest green eyes filled with despair and sorrow and loss. He didn't have the rage I did, the burning fury that helped me wake up and keep fighting. He may have been the Boy who Lived, but he needed rest now. I could give that to him. It would hurt, but I could do it. I planted my lips on his in a fiery kiss that I hoped transferred all the love I was feeling.

"Alright," I breathed. "Do it. Go. I'll wait for you, though. I'll always wait for you."

"You don't have to wait for me," Harry said, a small smile slipping through. "Be seventeen. I'll be back in time for your eighteenth birthday, but don't wait for me until then."

"I love you, Harry Potter," I said, pecking him on the lips. The unsaid words hung between us. _Come back to me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's chapter 2! I hope you enjoyed it, the last scene was quite painful for me to write but it's necessary :/ Please leave suggestions in comments and kudos below! :)


	3. New

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry arrives at his flat. Ron and Hermione create a new normal.

**HARRY**

I stood in the dingy building lobby as the old man behind the desk rummaged for keys.

"'Ere yeh go, mate," he grunted, flinging the keys at me, and I caught it easily while juggling two brown suitcases. At least I had retained _something_ from Quidditch.

"Thanks," I muttered, then headed for my flat, which was was on the fifth floor. I arrived, panting a little, and unlocked the brown door. The rather shabby one-bedroom flat was sparsely furnished, with a peeling sofa, kitchenette, bedframe, threadbare rug, and dresser. I sat down with a sigh and dropped my luggage.

I closed my eyes, remembering the trouble I had gone through to get here. Most notably, the argument with Ron and Hermione.

_"Harry," Hermione begun after her best friend had broken the news. "We get it. You're in pain."_

_Harry rubbed his eyes. "'Mione, please, I need you to understand. I need you to let me do this."_

_"Harry, you can't just withdraw from us!" Ron's voice raised slightly. "We need each other to heal! You can't-"_

_"Stop telling me what I need!" Harry yelled. "I need this. I need to be alone! Neither of you_ get _anything!"_

 _"Please," Hermione said. "We don't_ get _anything? I know - I know that moment in the woods must have been enormously painful. I didn't go through it, but I get it. But I was there, by your side, for the whole year. I was tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange. I know what the pain is."_

_"I just lost a brother, Harry," Ron's voice cracked. "Don't make me lose another one."_

_"When have we_ ever _left you?" Hermione demanded. "It's always been the three of us - well, except when Ronald was being an idiot - and we don't intend to leave you now."_

 _A lump formed in Harry's throat at being called Ron's brother, but he pushed on. "This past year has been painful for all of us. But you guys - do you get how much I've been through? I lost my parents. I was raised for_ ten fucking years _in an abusive household. The whole burden of the wizarding world was placed on me since I was eleven. I found my godfather, only to lose him again. I watched Cedric die. I watched Sirius die. I watched Dumbledore die. The whole wizarding world made me a laughingstock for a year. You - you're my best friends in the entire world, and you've been there for me since the beginning, and I love you both for that. But - it's suffocating."_

_"Harry - the pain is what makes you human. You can't-"_

_"THEN - I DON'T - WANT - TO BE - HUMAN!" Harry shouted, tears springing to his eyes. "I'm sick of it! I don't want this pain, but I have it, and you have to let me deal with it how I need to!"_

_Ron wiped his blue eyes furiously, trying and failing to pretend he wasn't crying, but Hermione caught his hand and held it. "Harry," she said softly. "We'll miss you."_

_"I'll be back," he promised, sniffing. "By Ginny's eighteenth birthday."_

_Hermione went in first, then Ron wrapped his long arms around the both of them. They stayed like that, the three of them, until someone sneezed and then they couldn't stop laughing. They laughed until their tear-stained faces dried and their stomachs ached from laughter rather than grief._

I breathed deeply to stop myself from crying again. I felt tired, a bone-deep weariness that pervaded my soul. My emotions were frayed and fragile, and I felt on the verge of tears at any given moment. I opened my eyes again and scanned the room with its badly stripped wallpaper and scrubbed wooden floors. I was here to heal.

I got up and fished in my case for the Muggle money I had converted at Gringotts a few days ago. I would have to go shopping.

* * *

**HERMIONE**

It had been almost a month since the Battle of Hogwarts, and everyone was slowly healing, myself included.

In a long and tearful conversation and a reversal of a few spells, Wendell and Monica Wilkins were Mr and Mrs Granger again.

They moved into a small flat near The Burrow, not wanting to go back to my childhood home, which was much farther away. I loved and had missed my parents, but wasn't entirely sure how to feel. I hadn't seen them in three years. They were a little unfamiliar.

I drifted back into the present when Percy passed me a bowl of potatoes to peel. Mrs Weasley had recently started cooking again, much to everyone's relief. Mr Weasley mostly stayed in the garage. Only Ron went to check on him occasionally, and reported he was tinkering with his Muggle items. Percy had tried to get involved with the family as much as possible, so it was mostly Ron, him, and I who were doing chores and keeping the house going.

I started peeling the potatoes. The kitchen was mostly devoid of chatter, but it had started to come to life again. The clatter of spoons, soft crackling of the fireplace, the rush of water. Scents, too. Right now I could smell a delicious shepherd's pie in the oven.

Someone knocked on the door, and Percy got up to get it. There was a chorus of 'hello's, and Bill and Fleur stepped into the kitchen.

"Bill," Mrs Weasley rushed over to give her son a hug. She barely came up to his shoulder now. The rest of the Weasleys had returned from Shell Cottage soon after the war, but the families always came by to visit.

Mrs Weasley moved on to Fleur next and kissed her on both cheeks. "It's lovely to have you both over again," she smiled. "Percy, get your father, please. Hermione, get the others."

I abandoned my potatoes, wiping my hands on my trousers, and headed up the rickety stairs to the rooms. I knocked on Ginny's door first, and she emerged, her eyes slightly red. "Bill and Fleur are here," I said. "You alright?"

"I'm fine," she muttered. "I just miss him."

I wasn't sure if she was talking about Fred or Harry, but I just gave her a hug. "I know."

She headed down, and I knocked on Charlie's door next. He was the least known Weasley to me. I think the biggest interaction I had with him was when he came to pick up Hagrid's illegal dragon in the first year, or maybe during the Triwizard Tournament or Bill's wedding.

He stepped out and ruffled my already bushy hair. I think he saw me as more of a little sister than anything, especially after I had been staying at the Burrow. "Bill and Fleur here already?" I nodded, and he brushed past me downstairs.

I stopped outside George's room next. I had barely seen him since Fred's funeral, where he had been completely empty for almost all of it, then had broken down at the end. Ron and Charlie had had to carry him back home.

Timidly, I knocked on the door. I heard some shuffling inside, then he emerged, his stare blank. I looked up at his face, then gasped.

"What did you do?" I exclaimed, possibly overreacting a bit. George's hair was bright green, the furthest from red it could possibly get.

He blinked. "I dyed it green."

"Why?" I asked, incredulously. He shook his head and continued downstairs.

I rushed down after him, intent to see what Mrs Weasley's reaction would be. I was right.

 _"Georgie!"_ she cried out. "What have you _done?_ "

Bill and Charlie were laughing, Percy and Fleur looked mildly repelled, and even Ginny had a smile on her face.

Mr Weasley's eyes were wide. "George - _why?_ "

George swallowed thickly, and it suddenly hit me. Of course he would change his appearance. Standing behind him, I quickly motioned for everyone to stop, but it was too late.

"I - I kept thinking it was him in the mirror," he whispered, and the smiles melted off everyone's face.

I stood there, desperately trying to think of a way to make it better. "Well, I like it," I declared. "It's very - unique." Everyone stared at me.

George turned to me, and in a small voice, said "Thanks, Hermione."

Chatter immediately resumed, with Charlie ruffling George's hair and teasing him about it. The smallest hint of a smile appeared on his face.

"Hermione, sweetheart, get Ron, please," Mrs Weasley said, and I nodded and exited the room.

* * *

**RON**

I chopped wood in the backyard.

Yes, it could be done a lot faster with magic. I had almost forgotten I was overage now and allowed to use it at home, but it was therapeutic. The repetitive swing, the sound of the axe biting into the wood, the clunk as logs hit the floor. I enjoyed being outdoors.

I was so caught up in my work that I didn't notice Hermione behind me until I almost swung my axe into her.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, barely dodging it. I immediately dropped the axe, swinging around to look at her.

_Wow._

I grinned at her stupidly for a while, unable to believe she was mine. My girlfriend. Hermione Jean Granger had actually agreed to be my girlfriend.

She laughed at my expression and reached up to take my face in her hands. "Hi."

"Hi," I said, smiling back at her. She closed the gap between us and we were kissing. It was nowhere near our first kiss, but nothing had changed. The kiss deepened, and I was leaning forward and twisting her curls with my hands when she stepped back. I made a sound of protest.

"Ron," she teased, "your brother and his wife are here. You do realise that we need to go in for dinner."

I groaned, but reached out and and grabbed her hand. "Fine, but you're not getting away next time."

"I wasn't planning on it," she said, throwing a wink over her shoulder. I burst out laughing, and she looked at me again, more crossly this time. "What?"

"'Mione, you can't wink," I chuckled, and she swatted me, but she was smiling.

"Shut up," she positioned herself against the brick wall of the house and pulled me against her, and we were kissing again, and our tongues explored each other and she sunk her fingers into my hair-

"RON! Hurry up!" I heard Charlie bellow, then he caught sight of me and Hermione. "Oops. Didn't mean to interrupt."

"You - you weren't interrupting," Hermione said, flustered, as she ran her hands through her hair. I gave Charlie a rude gesture, which he returned as we came inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 done! If you enjoyed it, please leave kudos and any comments/suggestions :)


	4. Normal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry meets someone unexpected from his past. The Weasleys return to whatever passes as normal, now.

**HARRY**

_Green light - screaming - Dumbledore falling - a pale, smooth rock next to a crashing sea - wisps of smoke - a bang -_

I sat ramrod straight with a gasp, chest rising and falling rapidly as I tried to remember where I was. Then it all came back to me, and I slumped against my pillows, trying and failing to calm my breath.

My head lolled back and I stared at the ceiling, breathing slowly. In this moment, I sorely regretted leaving. I missed my friends so much it felt like a missing piece inside me. I missed the way Ron, Hermione and I would laugh and hug, Hermione tucked into my chest and Ron resting his chin on my head. I missed human contact, the way Ginny squeezed my hand.

I struggled out of the bedsheets, mentally congratulating myself for not throwing up, which to my credit was becoming less frequent. I splashed cold water on my face, checking the time. _5:00am._ I stared up at the mirror, taking in my pale complexion, rather spotty face, giant eye bags, and empty green eyes. I was almost becoming afraid to go to sleep, knowing the nightmares would only come rushing back, and the lack of sleep was taking its toll on my health. I had half a mind to buy some of those Muggle sleeping pills Aunt Petunia used to take sometimes, only I didn't want to depend on them.

Aunt Petunia. They seemed like another world now. I hadn't seen them in almost a year and a half, it being July now. I'd been living on my own for nearly two months now, and I was slowly settling in to the strange new life. Just to give myself something to do, I had gotten a job at a small bookshop. It was solitary and peaceful, which was exactly what I needed.

I fumbled in my kitchen cupboards for a mug and switched the kettle on, turning towards the windows to stare at the pink sky. I cracked one of them open and an unseasonably cool breeze swept into the room. I poured myself a cup of tea and stood, looking out of the window.

When it reached seven o'clock, I got myself ready for work. Dressing in inconspicuous Muggle clothing, I left the flat, walking in the summery air towards the bookshop. The streets were quite full already; it was London, after all; and I played my favourite game as I strolled: people watching.

I loved trying to guess where people came from, where they were going, what they were thinking about. It fascinated me that all the people I passed on the street had lives that were just as complex, interesting, and wonderful as mine: an old book I found in the shop defined it as 'sonder'. The girl with curly dark hair and a daisy covered dress was hurrying towards her morning art class where she was in love with her best friend, the man in a sharp suit and a Walkman was really listening to heavy metal and had a family he didn't talk to, the mother with a pram was wheeling it towards her job at a coffee shop as she wondered how she would tell her husband she wanted a divorce. It calmed me, knowing all these people didn't know who I was and didn't care. I was just as significant as them, and they were as insignificant as me.

I pushed open the door to the bookshop and the bell tinkled.

"Morning, Harry," my colleague and tentative friend, Jo, smiled at me as she sipped from her cardboard coffee cup.

"Morning," I replied, shouldering off my satchel and joining her behind the counter. "You in for a shift today?"

"Thought we could double up," she said, rearranging a pile of books on display. "Alright with that?"

I nodded, going in the back towards the storage area. "We need anything out front - oh." Turning around, I realised that a customer had walked into the shop. Jo went about serving her as I continued taking inventory.

We spent several hours like this, working in harmony with minimal conversation. I loved the feel of the shop, the dark oak shelves, softly carpeted floor, and smell of books, both new and old. It reminded me somewhat of the Hogwarts library, except without the cold stone floors, magic lanterns, and moody librarian.

Just before my lunch break, as Jo left for hers, another customer entered the shop. I looked up. "Welcome to-" I stopped dead.

"Harry?" he asked, staring at me in shock.

I stared right back. "Dudley?"

* * *

**GINNY**

Things were slowly returning to normal.

The Ministry, which people had realised was in shambles, it was slowly rebuilding itself. Kingsley Shacklebolt had assumed the role of temporary Minister of Magic before elections could be held. Most of the wizarding world's attention was centred on rounding up the remaining Death Eaters and throwing them in Azkaban where they belonged. Muggleborns who had been wronged now had a whole new department helping them return to their lives through reimbursements, which Percy was now working in.

Mum and Dad were also getting back to normal. Mum decided to volunteer at St Mungo's to give back to the community, and she was Apparating there thrice a week. I was glad for her. It gave her something to do. Dad still hadn't returned to the Ministry, though they were open to offering him his job back, because he wanted to spend some time at home first. I thought he could use a summer holiday just like us.

George, while having emerged from his shell, still hadn't found the will to go back into the shop. He told us he was working on a new line of products; for now, Mum was content with letting him be. Charlie had moved out a week ago, going back to his dragons where he belonged. Bill was back at his job at Gringotts. He assured Mum he wasn't planning to travel anywhere for the time being.

Ron had finally decided to return to Hogwarts with Hermione in the fall, though they wouldn't be staying in the castle as they technically weren't seventh years. They planned to rent a flat in Hogsmeade and commute to school each day for classes. They were so in love it was painful to look at, though I think it was evident to everyone but themselves.

And me? I was going to finish my schooling, obviously. For now, I was spending most of my time on the broom. I planned to be Quidditch Captain this year, and I wouldn't let anything jeopardise that. Hermione had been tutoring me in NEWT material I had missed out on so I could take my exams on time.

I missed Harry and Fred desperately. Especially this afternoon. I couldn't find the motivation to do anything, not even get my broom. I lay on my bed, hand splayed out on my stomach, sunlight beaming on my face, hole in my chest. I _needed_ something to do. Now.

Mustering all my willpower, I heaved myself off the bed and went to get my broom, and soon I was in the air. I didn't know exactly where I was flying until I saw the rook shaped house on the horizon. Luna's house.

I touched down on the grass, letting my broom fall and knocking on the door as I reached it.

Luna answered, her light blonde hair in a bun. "Oh! Ginny! Come in."

I grinned and wrapped her in a hug, which she giggled a little and returned. "It's nice to see you."

"You too, Loony," I murmured into her hair. Though I would hex anyone who called her that, it had become an endearing pet name between us.

"I missed you, Ginny," she said matter-of-factly, staring into my eyes.

She was a little odd, but I didn't understand how people didn't love her. I booped her nose lightly. "Missed you too, Luna."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter 4 done! Hope you enjoyed it. please leave comments and kudos if you did!


	5. Moonflowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Linny + Romione.

**GINNY**

I flopped onto Luna's bed, staring out of the window into the blue summer sky. Luna sat on her chair and swivelled around. "What do you want to do?"

I shrugged.

My best friend bounced out of her chair. "I learned to make flower crowns recently. Want to come outside and make some with me? We can use the flowers in my father's garden."

I sat up. "Won't he be angry?"

She smiled and shrugged. "When have you let people being angry stop you from doing something?"

I grinned back. "Fair enough. Let's go."

We chased each other outside, entering Xenophilius Lovegood's garden, full of flowers ranging from ordinary daisies and mums to magical umbrella flowers, valerian, and puffapods. She sat down in the middle of them and plucked a few daisies. "Let's start simple."

She showed me how to twist the stems together and chain the daisies. Doing the simple, repetitive task reminded me of a childhood. Not mine, having six brothers meant I never really played around with flowers, but it brought me back to a time where all we wanted was a pretty flowery crown. Luna finished it and set it on my head.

Soon, we were surrounded by flowery chains, ranging from white to pink to luminescent blue. Luna sat in the midst of it, a crown on her head and beautiful florals decorating her wrists and neck. The sun came out from behind a cloud and a beam of sunshine fell directly upon her.

Somehow, I found it hard to breathe.

Luna looked like a goddess, adorned with the finest jewellery. Her pale blonde hair was illuminated by the sun, making it seem to be faintly shining. The flowers gave her an ethereal aura. She looked so perfectly content to be sitting there with me in the middle of her father's garden. She looked directly at me, her silvery eyes glowing in the sunlight, and smiled.

I think my heart stopped beating.

"You're stunning," I breathed, then immediately regretted it. _That's an awfully strange thing to say to your best friend, Ginny._

She gently set a flower crown onto my head, and where her skin touched mine it sparked and crackled, almost like electricity. I was afraid to move in case it went away. "You're beautiful, Ginny Weasley," she declared, and I blushed.

We smiled at each other then, and it was only when I got home an hour later that I realised I hadn't thought of my brother once.

I didn't know whether to feel relieved that I was healing or guilty that I was forgetting him.

All I knew was that Luna Lovegood changed me somehow. When I was around her, I wasn't the same person. I was kinder, more patient, open-minded, better.

I wasn't sure how to feel about that, either.

* * *

**HERMIONE**

When my nightmares came for me, they weren't bits and pieces of the most traumatic memories of my life.

When they came, they convinced me they were real.

_Ron and I ducked into the Chamber of Secrets, giggling after his amazing Parseltongue performance. We knew the Basilisk would be dead, so we weren't being too careful._

_Ron grabbed my hand and squeezed it tight, and I tried not to let the sensation distract me from the mission. There was a new, fragile thing between us, something so beautiful I was afraid it would break. And I didn't want to break it. Not at any cost._

_We entered the Chamber, expecting to find the giant Basilisk skeleton to harvest its fangs._

_There was nothing there._

_"Ron," I said nervously. "...did it decompose?"_

_"I don't know," he replied, and then we heard it. A sinister slithering noise, the scrape of scales against centuries-old stone._

_"Look away," I kept my voice low, drawing my wand, my mind working furiously. How was it alive? Harry had killed it five years ago!_

_The slithering sound accelerated, and Ron took out his wand. "One... two..."_

_"Now!" I yelled, and we both fired spells over our shoulders and dived away from each other. The Basilisk went after Ron, and I turned around to see it slithering after him, snapping its jaws._

_"Ron, watch out!" I shouted, trying to figure out how to kill it. Harry had used the sword of Gryffindor, but we didn't have that right now. What spells would kill it?_

_"'Mione!" Ron yelled, diving out of the way of the Basilisk's jaws. "What do we-"_

_And then it happened. The giant fangs of the Basilisk sank themselves into Ron's body. Blood spurted. Bones crunched. His torso went limp, and there was an awful sound of gurgling and grinding and-_

_"RON!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, racing towards the snake. It turned its head towards me, and I looked straight into its bulbous yellow eyes._

I awoke in the pitch blackness, my heart hammering wildly, the grief in my stomach unbearable. Ron. He was dead-

Almost like a fishing line reeling a catch in, my brain seemed to be pulled out of my dreamscape and back into the present. Ron was alive, and I was alive, and it was over. We were safe.

I started to cry, mostly from the shock. I needed to _feel_ that he was alive. I got out of bed and felt my way towards the door, then opened it. I went up the flight of stairs and creaked open the door to Ron's room. He was asleep, moonlight flooding his room and illuminating the planes of his body: his nose, cheekbones, bare chest, biceps, and his red hair that seemed almost grey in the light.

I crept across the room and got into bed beside him, burrowing beneath the blankets and savouring the warmth of his body.

He stirred slightly, his arm bumping into me. He slowly opened his eyes, then turned to look at me. His eyes widened.

"Hermione?" he asked, his voice still raspy from sleep. "What - what're you doing here?" He stared at me in concern, and seemed to register the tear tracks on my face. "'Mione, are you alright?"

Seeing his face, hearing his voice, I started to cry again. I burrowed my face in his chest, and he wrapped his arms around me. "I - I dreamed you died," I sobbed. "When we went to the Chamber of Secrets, the Basilisk was still alive, and it killed you. You died. I saw you die, and-"

"Shhhh," he said into the top of my head. "It's okay. It was just a dream. I'm here. We're safe."

As my tears slowed, I inhaled shakily, intaking the smell of him. He smelled of sleep and parchment and freshly mown grass and of all my favourite things. My normal, in the flesh.

I tilted my head up and kissed him, the salt of my tears mingling between us. Ron took my face in his hands and kissed me harder, and I dug my fingers into his hair, then my hands roamed over his back, and I revelled in how his muscles shifted under my touch. He groaned into my mouth, igniting my blood, and my hands moved to his lower back. He grunted slightly and separated from me, pushing me away from him.

"What's wrong?" I asked, trying to move closer to him again, but he kept me at a distance.

"I - I'm-" he stared up at the headboard, biting his lip. "If - if you want to go to sleep, maybe we should - er - just do that."

Then I got it, and I couldn't stop a sly smile from spreading over my face. "Ron," I teased, "it's okay." I moved closer to him again, and then our lips met and we were kissing and I felt him hard against my thigh. Something inside me shifted at that realisation, and I kissed him harder.

His hands drifted down and took restrained handfuls of my pyjama jumper at my waist. I tried not to laugh. I kissed my way up his jaw and whispered "Take it off."

Ron moved his head backward and looked me in the eye. "Really? Are you sure?"

I smiled. "Yes. Hurry up."

He smiled back, pecking me on the lips, and released my jumper. I shivered in anticipation as his hands slid up and rested on my stomach, all while he trailed butterfly kisses down my throat and settled in the spot where my neck and collarbone met. I writhed under him. "Ron, please."

A low sound rumbled from Ron's throat at those words, and he lifted the hem of my jumper over my head. I wriggled out of it, and then it was more skin against skin. He kissed lower, and I felt his warm breath ghosting over my bare breast before he flicked his tongue over my peaked nipple. I arched my back, trying to lean into the sensation, wanting more-

The stairs outside the room creaked and Ron's head shot up so fast it bumped into my chin. He fell beside me as I scrambled to find my shirt and pulled it over my head. The footsteps outside passed, and I collapsed against his chest. "That was close."

"Yeah," he sighed in relief.

"Where were we?"

"Not tonight," he stopped me. "Let's just cuddle."

I almost whined in frustration then, but I knew that in the middle of his family's house was not the best place to have my first time. I snuggled into his chest. "Goodnight."

I could hear his smile as he pressed a kiss to my curls. "Night, 'Mione."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter 5 done! I hope you enjoyed it! I'm a huge fan of Hinny but I'm interested to see where Linny goes ;) leave comments and kudos if you enjoyed it!


	6. Dumbledore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry gets a visitor, and learns a bit of unwelcome information.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all, I'm switching to third person because it's just more comfortable feeling. Hope that's ok!

**HARRY**

"Dudley," Harry said, managing to find his voice. "What - what're you doing here?"

Dudley had certainly changed, matured from the fat spoiled brat Harry remembered from his childhood. While nobody could call him thin, he had evened out a bit, and generally looked better kept. He carried a backpack, and was holding out one of the textbooks the bookshop sold.

"In London?" Dudley asked. "I'm living here now, going to uni. I moved out of Mum and Dad's house about a year ago, actually, once I came of age. How 'bout you? Finished your - schooling?"

Harry huffed a laugh, finding the strangeness of the conversation a bit overwhelming. Out of all the people he knew, Dudley was probably the one he pegged as least likely to run into. He hadn't even thought about his cousin in at least a year. "It's a bit complicated. Look, I'm getting off for lunch in a bit, if you wanted to-"

Dudley looked apologetic. "I can't today, I've got to rush back to campus for my afternoon classes. Look," he grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled on it, "let's get in touch, yeah? Maybe sometime later this week. That's my telephone number-" he suddenly looked nervous, "you do know what a telephone is, right?"

Harry laughed. "I grew up in the same house as you, Dudley. Don't worry."

Dudley smiled. "Well, nice seeing you." He paid for his book.

"Cheers," Harry replied a bit faintly, watching his cousin exit the store. He looked down at the phone number and debated scrunching it up and throwing it away. But he couldn't, of course he couldn't. This was Dudley, who had nothing to do with the war, or death, or anything. He could talk to his cousin.

* * *

Harry arrived home at the end of the day and had just put the kettle on, settling on his sofa to read one of the books he checked out from the library nearby. It was a Muggle kids' storybook and was classified as something called 'science-fiction'. It was fascinating.

He heard a tapping on the window and turned to see Pigwidgeon, tapping his beak on the window. Must be Ron and Hermione's weekly letter. He opened the window and set a saucer of seed on the table, where Pig happily hooted and tucked in. Harry unfolded the letter, recognising Hermione's neat handwriting easily.

_Dear Harry,_

_Hope you're getting on well. We were so pleased to hear about your job at the bookshop, it sounds peaceful. As for us, we're all getting better. The Ministry is slowly reconstructing itself, and Ron and I have decided to go back to Hogwarts in a month, and Dean will be joining us too. Ginny's coping ok, as far as we can tell, and she's going over to Luna's a lot. We all miss you, Harry, and we hope you're healing. Remember you can come back at any time._

The next paragraph was Ron's distinctive spidery scrawl.

_I keep telling 'Mione, enough of the mushy stuff! Anyway, Teddy's doing well with Andromeda, she's been a brilliant guardian, Tonks and Lupin would've been happy. He's a Metamorphagus, like his mum, and the way his hair colour keeps changing is bloody hilarious, I tell you. Wish you were here, mate. All the best._

_Ron and Hermione._

The writing was again Hermione's.

_P.S. Professor McGonagall is coming to see you, Harry. Sorry. We couldn't stop her._

Harry sat up in alarm at the last sentence. Professor McGonagall was coming to see him? But when? And why?

He heard the familiar crack outside the door, sighed, and opened it.

Professor McGonagall stood outside, dressed in a black dress and green overcoat, her hair up in the usual severe bun, glasses perched on her nose. She, at least, looked exactly the same, if older. Other than her expression. Harry was used to seeing the professor with a stern expression and furrowed eyebrows. Her face was now open and apologetic, something Harry had never seen before.

"Professor," he said, holding the door wider. "Please come in."

She entered, nodding, and took a seat on his brown sofa. Harry couldn't help feeling uncomfortable, seeing his teacher sitting in the middle of his rather messy apartment. "Sorry, I didn't really have time to clean up - Ron and 'Mione just sent me a letter." She merely looked at him, and he bit his lip. "Er. Would you like some tea?"

"That would be lovely," she replied, and he hurried to the kitchen, making tea the Muggle way. He still hadn't removed his wand from his suitcase. He poured it into two cups, added milk and sugar (he wasn't exactly sure how she took her tea, but was too afraid to ask) and as an afterthought, placed a few gingersnaps on a plate. He returned to the sitting room, juggling the dishes, and set them down on the tea table.

McGonagall picked up the teacup and drank from it, swallowing and setting it back down. "I assume you're wondering why I'm here?"

Harry scratched the back of his neck. "Er, yes, Professor."

She waved a hand at him. "You're technically out of school now, Mr Potter, you may call me Minerva."

"Well, you can call me Harry, then."

She smiled at him. "Well, Harry, I was wondering how you were doing."

Harry looked down at the scrubby carpet. "I'm ok. Getting by. Enjoying the quiet, y'know?"

She caught his gaze. "Yes, I do know. It's not a wonder you want to stay out of the public eye for a while. I hope my visiting doesn't break that for you."

"Well, you're ok, Professor," he replied, interested to find out that it was actually true. "It's just - my friends, the Weasleys, I love them more than anything, I do, but - it can be suffocating. And - this may sound selfish - but I wanted to look after myself, for a while, without having to look after anyone else. Just putting myself first."

She stared at him, a shine in her beady eyes. "Mr Potter, you are the last person who should be calling himself selfish. You're only eighteen, and you set aside your whole childhood for the greater good. You are entitled to a few months by yourself."

Harry took a shaky breath. "Thank you, Professor."

"Minerva," she corrected, then sighed. "Mr Black - Sirius - and I used to have that argument rather a lot. He would insist upon calling me 'Minnie', for Merlin's sake." Harry started to chuckle, and she joined in.

McGonagall quietened after a bit. "Mr Potter, I owe you an apology."

He turned to look at her. "What? What for?"

She looked at him sadly. "For allowing Albus Dumbledore to use you."

Harry frowned. "What? He didn't use me."

She sighed. "Yes, he did. He knew Sirius was innocent, he knew Pettigrew was the Secret Keeper, yet he allowed Sirius to be thrown in Azkaban without a trial so you would have to live with your aunt and uncle. He didn't know how they'd treat you, of course, but once he did, he didn't move you."

Harry frowned, trying to take what she was saying in. "But - Sirius was already in prison at that point. Where would they have moved me?"

McGonagall snorted. "There were quite a number of volunteers. The Diggorys, the Weasleys, the Prewetts, the Meadowes, even Augusta Longbottom in a pinch."

Harry spluttered on his tea. "The Weasleys offered to take me in?"

"Does that surprise you?" she asked. "They practically took you in once you started attending Hogwarts, anyway. There wasn't a single wizarding family on our side that wouldn't have adopted you, and raised you in a far more loving household than the one you got. Don't think Albus didn't know that."

"But - but the blood magic! I was protected with my aunt and uncle!" Harry's head was spinning.

"That could have been worked around," McGonagall said. "We could have even kept you at Hogwarts, growing up. There's no safer place than that. There are charms, and protective spells, and the Death Eaters were weakened anyway. No, that wasn't the reason."

"Then what was?"

"You, Harry," she said simply. "Placed in a loving home, you simply wouldn't have been as useful to the war effort, to Albus."

_"What?"_

"You wouldn't have been in his debt, Harry," she explained gently. "Look at the others. Remus Lupin was placed in his debt by simply being allowed to attend and later teach at Hogwarts. Rubeus Hagrid by being allowed to stay on as groundskeeper. Even Severus Snape by being forgiven and allowed to teach. And then you. All of these people were in Albus' debt, and were loyal to him."

Harry blinked fast. "Dumbledore wouldn't do that. Dumbledore was-"

"He worked for the greater good, Harry," McGonagall said kindly. "He was a good man, but everything he did was for the greater good. Including giving you the Invisibility Cloak. Including allowing you to try and reach the Philosopher's Stone in your first year, including sending Fawkes and the Sorting Hat in your second year, giving you the Time-Turner in the third year, allowing you to compete in the Triwizard Tournament in the fourth year, giving you those lessons later on, and bringing you to the cave in the sixth year. It was all for the war effort. You would be a powerful weapon, and he knew this, so he used it to our advantage. Mind you, he wasn't selfish. It was not for him. It was all for the greater good."

Harry's eyes pricked as he tried to process all the information she was giving him. "I-"

"You needn't believe me, Harry, or even think about this very much," she said. "I only told you because you deserve to know, and to apologise for not doing anything about it."

"Thank you," Harry croaked.

She tutted softly, swirling her tea in her cup. "I also owe an apology to your parents," she mused sadly. "They would have been absolutely furious at Dumbledore. Mind you, they would be enormously proud of you. But they didn't sacrifice their lives so you could die in the same war they did."

"Professor," Harry said suddenly, "I told you I wanted to be an Auror in the fifth year. I changed my mind. I don't want to fight anymore - I'm sick of fighting."

A small smile graced the woman's face. "When you told me that, I couldn't help but remember several very similar conversations I had heard back in your parents' time. Those children... oh, they were Gryffindors through and through. Selflessly wanting to pursue the war effort. I remember telling them that I didn't become a teacher for that, but none of them cared."

Harry looked at her. "My mum and dad and all their friends wanted to be Aurors?"

"Not exactly," McGonagall replied. "They all wanted to help in the war."

Harry bit his lip. "Professor, I wonder - could you tell me more about them? What they were like? All of them, Remus and Sirius and even Pettigrew-"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you all that you want to know," she said gently, and his heart sank. "But I know someone who can."

Harry immediately sat up and leaned closer to her. "You do? Who?"

"One of your parents' friends," she explained.

"But - they're all dead, aren't they, or in hospital?"

"Not all of them," McGonagall had a gleam in her eye. "It's time you met Mary MacDonald."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh wow, I loved writing this chapter! It was so fun. I also am sorry if anyone doesn't like my characterisation of Dumbledore, but that's the way I see it. please leave comments and kudos if you enjoyed it! and Happy New Year!


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